Disappointing Foreign XI
Taibi
Darmian Blanc Prunier Fabio
Schweinsteiger Veron Di Maria
Cruyff
Falcao Rossi
Subs: Kleberson, Schneiderlin, Djemba x 2, Petrucci, Blomqvist
Prioritised players that performed below their reputation/my expectations. I loved Veron and he produced some brilliant performances here, but overall it just didn't click for him relative to his abilities. Blanc was a brilliant player signed a few years too late, same with Schweinsteiger really, although there were some question marks about his attitude whereas I never heard a single negative sentiment about Blanc. Falcao was likeable too but his body seemed to have broken down completely and I'm surprised he's subsequently rebounded so well. Di Maria was just a putrid turd who never wanted to be here. Taibi and Darmian arrived with solid enough reputations and stereotypes dictate that I'll always be optimistic about Italian GKs and defenders but the less said regarding them the better. I'd seen Cruyff play a handful of times before he joined us and he looked a bit shit but surely we had a right to expect a bit more from a player named J. Cruyff? Prunier is included as I couldn't think of an alternative and because I was optimistic about him after watching highlights of his debut on Match of the Day, before his horror show in the next match and subsequent disappearance. Fabio and Rossi still sting...both very talented and likeable, but injuries and lack of first team opportunities did for them here. Fabio never really kicked on elsewhere, but Rossi turned out to be a terrific player in between his horrendous misfortune with injuries. There's others of varying degrees of talent in that youth category too, such as Petrucci and Possebon.
